Sunday, February 13, 2011

Informal and formal learning - Time is Relative

For our futurist prediction, I chose to analyze #5 from the World Future Society's list of top 2011 predictions: the notion that class time as separate from non-class time will vanish. Acquiring the ability to self direct one's learning is of paramount importance. Self-empowerment for many people may be more important. I believe the prediction of boundaries notion to be true and happening rapidly already. Teacher and faculty roles will change to provide mentoring, guidance, validation, and most of all, inspiration.

In as little as 20 years in the US, all formal education will be online available anywhere, anytime, everywhere, all the time. Faculty or teachers who do not use learning technologies will be guilty of educational malpractice. There will still be face to face learning and the need for institutions, but they will serve more as community centers specializing in assessment. Research will also be available in blended formats of virtual and face to face activities. Universities will be cultural, community hubs.

The article asserts that one of the forces upon this prediction is the net generation's use of technology. While true, the variation and ubiquity of learning appliances combined with how those same devices are used for everything we do culturally accelerates the claim.

International accrediting agencies is an intriguing notion. Our country has quite a lot of accreditation agencies and it gets in the way of institutions that serve multiple states. UNESCO's recent open educational resources initiative may be a step in that direction. Global climate change is one force that also will encourage serious gaming to solve real-world problems requiring informal non-class time to participate. I will be one of those CTU grads producing such gaming courseware that spans formal and informal learning to save the planet. Who wants to play?